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This report describes the 'Families in focus - mobile literacy mentors program' also known as the STEPS program. This program began when representatives from TAFE New South Wales (NSW) Riverina Institute, Wagga Wagga Campus, Department of Community Services (DOCS), Wagga Wagga City Council (WWCC), Kooringal Public School (KPS) and the regional office of the NSW Department of Education and Training (DET) met to define the issues surrounding poor performance and lack of support for the children of socially disadvantaged families. The aims of the project were to: help disengaged Indigenous and non-Indigenous families with young children build their capacity to interact with their community; support families who are reluctant to contact educational and community service organisations, or whose negative experiences or limited contact have built up fear and distrust of these institutions; reduce family isolation through connection to community resources and services and support the family capacity; and help give families the skills to help their own children's pre-learning and pre-literacy development. The program has helped marginalised families to overcome barriers to learning, progress language and literacy skills, and develop skills for the more complex inter-relation of skills, knowledge and attitudes required for capacity building.